Moonbeams For Your Floor
by rosepetalsinthewind
Summary: Outgoing and popular Alma is secretly in love with scorned outcast Marian Paroo. Jock Jacey Squires finds himself falling for the new kid, Harold Hill while Harold "Greg" Hill himself is in a romantic fury- caught between a desire for Marian and a growing affection for Jacey. Meanwhile, Marian just wants some goddamn peace and quiet while she reads her book with Alma by her side.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi! So this is a Music Man high school au I'm writing for a friend. There's no Marian x Harold, instead it'll be a kind of crackship mashup of sorts.**_

 _ **Pairings:**_

 _ **Alma/Marian**_

 _ **Jacey/Harold**_

 _ **Oliver/Olin/Ewart**_

 _ **Face Claims**_

 _ **Alma- Ellie Martin**_

 ** _Ethel- Allie Marie Evans_**

 _ **Ewart- Pedro Aurelian**_

 _ **Harold/Greg- Alex Storm**_

 _ **Jacey- Max Barczak**_

 _ **Jenny- Barbara Emely**_

 _ **Marian- Kimmy Schram**_

 _ **Maud- Sage Tullis**_

 _ **Olin- Francisco Lachowski**_

 _ **Oliver- Neels Visser**_

 _ **Mrs. Shinn- Saul Rubinek**_

 _ **Mr. Shinn- Helen Mirren**_

 _ **Marcellus- Lucas Bin**_

 _ **If more characters are added, their face claims will be announced at the beginning of the chapter.**_

* * *

The usual morning chatters of River City High began around eight a.m. sharp. Today, of all days too, was no exception. Students were bustling through the halls in alively manner- or, well, at least _most_ of them were. The four football captains- Oliver, Jacey, Ewart, and Olin- were roughhousing by their lockers; the popular girls (and the current flings of the captains)- Alma, Jenny, Ethel, and Maud- were gossiping in the corner while Marcellus attempted to flirt weakly with Ethel; Tommy Djilas and Zaneeta Shinn were engaged in a hot makeout session by the bathroom door; and Principal Shinn and his Vice Principal (and wife), Eulalie Shinn, were attempting to spread order throughout the halls. The only noteable absence from the morning loudness was Marian Paroo, who had found herself in the library for an early morning checkout. In a way, the books were an escape for Marian. They allowed her to get by the day, to escape into a different world away from the bitter, disappointing reality she lived in. She was, in a way, considered an outcast. She'd been an outcast ever since Zaneeta had started the rumor Marian was having _intimate_ relations with Mr. Madison, the librarian. Marian hadn't been, of course, but the rumor had quickly traversed among the student body and Mr. Madison had quickly lost his job. There was no librarian anymore, just a stupid self-checkout sheet. Despite the rumor of the past year, Marian still loved the library. Maybe, in a way, that was why she was there. Marian had first period free, anyway, so she wandered to the librarian's desk and lifted a stack of returned books into her arms.

"Let's see," Marian murmured to herself, "We've got... Chaucer... Rabelais... Balzac.." She was nearly curious enough to see who'd actually bothered to check the ancient books out, but she found within a few seconds she wasn't truly interested. She slowly, and gently, positioned each book in its respective place just as the first bell rang to signal the start of first period.

"You _know_ I'm right, Jacey!" Olin's boisterous voice filled the library room, causing Marian to sigh in aggravation.

"Pf, 'you know I'm right' my ass!" Jacey snapped. He glared at Olin, folding his arms over his chest. Jacey was the smallest and lankiest of the four, but he was the fastest. Olin was shorter, but he was stocky. Ewart- his real name was Edward, but the nickname had arisen in Junior High and had crossed over into High School- was muscular but more of a runner, he was really only on the football team for his father's vicarious needs. Oliver was the tallest and the stockiest, and arguably the leader of the troupe. Marian didn't know how exactly Alma dealt with him at all.

"It's the saaammee thing!" Olin drew out in annoyance.

"The hell it is, Olin!" Ewart spat, annoyed. It was obvious the four hated each other at times, though they were truly the best of friends in other ways. Marian did her best to stay out of their way as they plowed through the room, shoving each other and whatnot.

"Hey, Miss Maaaaaaarian!" Oliver grinned, his voice drawing out Marian's name in a singsong voice. "You seen Alma 'round?"

"Alma?" Marian asked, frowning, as she finally settled the last book upon the shelf. "No, why?"

"Can't seem to find her." Oliver mused. "She's been hidin' lately, can't seem to figure out why. Thought you'd seen her."

"I.. uh.. no, no, I haven't seen her." Marian said, and it was the truth. Marian hadn't seen Alma... not that day, at least. She had, however, seen Alma the previous night. And the night before that. The past few nights, actually. Marian had been tutoring Alma, just to help her prepare for the ACTs coming up in the next few months. Alma's parents, to put it nicely, were hardasses. The pressure Oliver put on her with his image was a lot, too, Marian supposed.

"You sure? I hear you'been hangin' out with her after school." Oliver's eyes narrowed.

"I can assure you I'm simply helping her study." Marian murmured, casting her eyes away. She didn't like the gaze Oliver looked at her with, a look filled with contempt. "She's got the ACTs coming up, her parents don't want her to fail."

"You promise?" Oliver leaned in close, too close for Marian's taste.

"I promise." Marian said, unflinching. Oliver could be a jerk sometimes, all four of them could be. Marian never knew why, she used to be friends with all of them years ago. She wasn't sure what had changed.

"Good." Oliver pulled back, signaled to the other three, and exited from the library. Marian sighed in relief, running her hand through her hair, and walked back to the librarian's desk with a soft shake of her head. Marian was only fifteen minutes into the school day and already she'd caused a problem with Oliver Hix. Marian paused for a moment, however, and headed back to the bookshelf to pull out Chaucer's book. She opened the front page, but found no note of who had checked it out last. She meandered to the checkout sheet as well, but again- no sign of who had checked it out. Frowning, she opened to a page which had conveniently been dog-eared. She found nothing aside from a small, messily scrawled note which read the following:

 _Marian Paroo's got a silver voice and a heart of gold._

* * *

Alma sat in the Principal's office, rather confused as to why she'd been called in. Alma hadn't really done anything wrong, she'd just been calmly taking notes in her LA class alongside Maud, when Principal Shinn's monotone voice had blared over the PA system and called Alma in. So there she sat in an uncomfortable office chair, tapping her sneaker clad feet against the shag carpet as Shinn made a phonecall, his boring voice muttering away. When he hung up the phone, Alma was quick to blurt out the question she'd had throughout her entire time spent in the room. "Mr. Shinn," Alma asked, "why am I here?"

"Oh, yes," Mr. Shinn cleared his throat, "as one of the Student Council members, Miss Harris, you're bound to know your way around the school. Yes?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't-" Alma began, but was cut off by Mr. Shinn.

"I wanted to ask Mrs. Shinn to do this, but she's helping the school board plan a field trip. So, naturally, I thought you'd be perfect to show our student new.." Mr. Shinn blinked, then corrected himself. "New student around the school."

"We, uh.. we've got a new student?" Alma frowned. "Who?"

"Eh," Mr. Shinn shrugged, "Harold.. Harold Hill. He's in the Secretary's Office, why don't you go show him around."

* * *

"So.." Alma said, gently rubbing her upper arm as she approached the new kid. He was taller than Alma (which wasn't hard, almost everyone was taller than Alma) with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. "You're Harold Hill?"

"Sure am," The teen boasted with a sloppy grin, "but you can call me Greg."

"Greg?" Alma asked with a frown. "But-"

"My middle name is Gregory," Greg explained, "it's just a nickname."

"Oh," Alma murmured, "I see."

* * *

"And the band room is just down that way, and the auditorium is actually right next to it." Alma explained. "Usually that's where the drama department has its plays. You just missed the fall one, so you'll need to wait until the spring for the annual musical." The halls were empty, aside from Alma and Greg. First hour was about to end, but the tour was almost done anyhow.

"What's down there?" Greg asked, gesturing down the hallway with his hand.

"That? Oh!" Alma grinned sheepishly. "That's the library. Usually no one's in there at this hour, but Marian might be."

"Marian?"

"Yeah, she's uh.. she's pretty nice." Alma said as she lead Greg to the library. True to Alma's word, Marian was inside the library casually organizing the books. Alma couldn't really help but stare at Marian. Her soft silver-blonde dyed hair was rather pretty in the lighting, as were Marian's hazel eyes. The sight was enough to elicit a small twitch in Alma's lips, but that was all.

"She's beautiful," Greg decided with a nod, which- admittedly- gave Alma a slight twinge of jealousy.

"Oh, uh, remember- your second hour class is down by the Bio room!" Alma said as the second bell rang. Greg offered a grin and a nod before departing, but Alma wasn't quite ready to leave yet. "Hey, Marian," Alma began, clasping her hands together as she approached the bookworm.

"Hm? Oh! Alma," Marian turned to the shorter girl with a slight smile, "what do you need?"

"I was just wondering," Alma ran a hand through her dark locks, "are we studying again tonight? It's really been helping me, you know, and-"

Marian cut Alma off with a small smile and a wave of her hand. "Of course," She said with a nod, "my place, right? Seven o'clock?"

"Um, yeah," Alma smiled, "sounds lovely."

"Oh, Alma?" Marian asked as Alma turned to head to her second hour class.

"Oliver's looking for you," Marian hesitated, "he, uh, made it sound like it was urgent. Just thought I'd letcha know."

Alma smiled, then nodded. "Thanks, Marian."


	2. Chapter 2

Greg hesitantly chewed his lip as he held tightly to his backpack strap. The first lunch bell had rung, signalling that the first lunch group could leave to eat. Lunch was split into three different groups, one at a different time so classes could go on in an orderly fashion. Greg, however, was not hungry. He had other things on his mind, like the captivating girl he'd seen in the library when Alma had shown him around… besides, according to Alma, Marian was not the type of person to be caught in a large group of people- which lunch technically qualified for. Greg slowly pushed open the library door and peered inside. He didn't see Marian at first, but he caught a glimpse of the white cardigan she was wearing as it disappeared behind a shelf of books. Greg gathered his confidence with a deep breath and pushed forward, ready for anything. Greg found Marian, her eyebrows furrowed in thought, as she looked through various selections of Chaucer, Rabelais, and Balzac.

"Whatcha got there?" Greg asked, his melodic voice a bit too loud for Marian's taste. He had, in fact, startled her.

Instantly, Marian slammed the book shut. "Can I help you?" Greg couldn't tell if Marian was flustered or annoyed, or perhaps both.

"Um, yeah. You the librarian?" Greg asked, tilting his head slightly. Marian blinked, as if confused as to why Greg would think such a thing.

"Me? No." Marian shook her head. "I just enjoy it here. Do you need help with anything? I saw Alma showing you around earlier… um, there's a self-check out over there.. So basically you can just make a selection and leave."

"I've already made my selection." Greg said simply, which caused Marian to blink in surprise. She ran a hand through her silver-blonde hair and adjusted her reading glasses before she spoke.

"What selection?" She asked, curious.

"The librarian." Greg said simply, unblinking and unwavering.

"I…" Marian didn't seem to know how to respond. "Sorry, who are you?"

Greg seemed to make a small bow and offered Marian a lopsided grin. "I'm Harold Hill, but you can call me Greg."

"Greg?" Marian quirked an eyebrow.

"My middle name is Gregory." Greg explained. "So everyone calls me Greg."

"Oh," Marian murmured, then she responded. "Look, Greg, I don't know you. I didn't even know your name. I'm not really interested in-"

"C'mon, Marian, what can I do to swoop you off your feet?" Greg whined with a sigh. Marian's cheeks, for a moment, turned a rosy red as her grip gently tightened around the book she was holding as she glanced at the floor.

"You seem nice and all, Greg, but really… I'm not interested." And it was true. Marian had, and never had, shared any interest in the male specimen. Books, and a few girls, had held Marian's interest before… but never a male. Marian doubted Greg would be any different. "Please, just check a book out or something."

"I'm really not here for any books." Greg admitted. "I just came for you. Please, Marian, let me change your mind."

"No." Marian said simply, tucking the book under her arm. "I'm really not interested, Greg."

"Marrriiiiaaaan," Greg droned, which made Marian flinch. Greg nearly sounded like Oliver from that morning. "Madame Librarian." Greg added, teasingly.

"I'm not interested." Marian repeated, though she knew she wasn't getting anywhere. She held the book close to her chest, now, and grabbed her bag from the floor. "I, uh, gotta go." She slung her bag over her shoulder. Greg, of course, followed. Marian didn't understand how Greg didn't get it, how Marian wasn't interested. Marian's grip tightened on the book as she sucked in a deep breath and walked toward the only place she knew for sure Greg couldn't enter- the ladies' restroom. The restroom was just down the east hall and to the right, and no one was ever in there- which was why Marian didn't expect anyone else to actually be in the restroom, but she nearly ran face first into Alma herself.

"Woah, there, tigress..." Alma blinked, surprised, as her hands gently grasped Marian's shoulders to hold her at bay. "What's up? You look spooked."

"That new kid is crazy." Marian grumbled, shaking her head. Silver-blonde curls spilled over her shoulders as she did so, her glasses slowly slipping from her nose. It was Alma who gently pushed them back into place with a soft smile. "He followed me here."

"Greg did?" Alma quirked an eyebrow. "That's creepy." She chuckled softly and shook her head. Marian nodded, silent, and leaned against the bathroom wall. "Didn't expect to see you til later," Alma admitted, glancing at the book Marian held. "What's that?"

" _The Works of Gregory Chaucer_." Marian offered a small smile. "There was a note in it about me."

Alma's cheeks seemed to redden a bit, but Marian passed it off as a lighting thing. "Oh?" Alma asked. "Let's see it, then."

Marian actually did blush when Alma suggested it. "Oh, ah... alright." Marian murmured, opening the book to the page she'd found the note at. Alma grinned softly as she read the note, then glanced up at Marian.

"Looks like you've got a secret admirer." Alma teased with a soft chuckle. Marian chuckled softly, casting her eyes to the ground. Alma watched, her ruby lips twitching up in a smile as she watched. In that moment, she wanted to kiss Marian- but she didn't; however, Alma had been the one to scribble in that library book... Marian just didn't know it. Alma intended to keep it that way, too. She was about to speak when the familiar voice of Mrs. Shinn filled the air.

"And she left twenty minutes ago?" Mrs. Shinn asked, her nasally voice breaking the peaceful moment between Alma and Marian.

"Shit," Alma muttered, shaking her head.

"What?" Marian asked with a frown, watching Alma.

"I'm skipping class." Alma deadpanned. "I didn't expect Mrs. Shinn to figure it out."

"-And Zaneeta, have you seen Marian?" Mrs. Shinn continued.

"Fuck." Marian muttered, snatching Alma's arm. "C'mon, I've a plan."

"Which is-?" Alma began to ask, but didn't get to finish her sentence. Marian shoved Alma into a stall and- without thinking, really- locked herself in the same stall with Alma. "Marian, we can't-" But there was no time to finish her sentence, as Mrs. Shinn had entered the room. Luckily, the toilet lid was down- because Marian had pushed Alma down to sit, and had climbed into her lap to conceal her own legs. They sat, faces inches apart, with Marian's arms twined around Alma's neck and knees digging into Alma's thighs. For the first twenty seconds, neither of them breathed- they just stared. Alma's crystalline blue eyes simply stared fearfully, ruefully, and... Marian didn't even know what the third emotion was, but it ended in '-lly'. As Mrs. Shinn's footsteps drew nearer, Marian's arms tightened around Alma and her body tensed. Alma's eyes widened a bit in discomfort, but she managed to stay quiet.

"Are you sure Alma was using this bathroom, Zaneeta?" Mrs. Shinn's voice asked as she began to exit the room. "I don't see anyone in here at all."

"I'm sure, mother," Zaneeta said simply, "Tommy said he saw Alma heading this way." Their voices vanished as the door shut behind them, allowing Alma and Marian to exude a sigh of relief in unison; however, neither moved.. or, well, at least until Alma spoke.

"I.. ah.. my legs are asleep." Alma said, a tad awkwardly.

"Oh, ah.. I'm sorry." Marian smiled sheepishly and stood, helping Alma to her feet.

"That bag really weighs you down," Alma said, doing her best to offer a teasing smile. Marian's cheeks flushed again as she realized she hadn't removed her book-laden bag. Marian offered a soft chuckle and a soft gaze to Alma, who ran a hand through auburn locks. "So, ah... that was fun, Marian," Alma smiled, "I'll see you later?" She asked as she awkwardly maneuvered around the taller girl, afraid she'd made a fool of herself.

"Of course," Marian nodded, adding in her own awkward smile, "I... I'm sorry, about crushing you." Marian shared the same fear, hoping she hadn't acted stupidly.

"Don't be," Alma said, offering Marian a gentle wave and a half-smile as she pushed the bathroom door open and headed out.

* * *

Alma hurriedly walked down the hallway, cheeks still warm and red from her encounter with Marian. She could still smell the faint, lingering scent of lilacs and ancient book pages on her skin leftover from Marian's skin upon Alma's jacket. She was so flustered and out of it that Alma nearly ran into Olin's back. In fact, Alma did run into Olin's back- drawing the attention of all four of the football captains. "Seems like you're always together," Alma muttered to the boys, "you aren't taking Oliver from me, are you?" The last statement was offered in a teasing manner, which only succeeded in drawing a puzzled look from Oliver himself. Oliver and Alma weren't the type of couple to share moments or phrases like that, they were hardly even a couple. Olin, Ewart, and Jacey had easily wooed their girls, but Alma was a bit harder to catch than the other three. Oliver suspected he'd never catch Alma, anyway. They'd only hung out a couple times, and had had one awkward kissing session which had only ended in them awkwardly studying anyway. They'd only done as much as tentatively hold hands a couple times after that, which sometimes Oliver found aggravating... other times he didn't truly care; however, he didn't truly care too much for the attention Alma seemed to give to Marian- even though Marian had assured Oliver she was simply Alma's tutor.

As if Alma needed one.

"Ah, whatever." Oliver said with a shrug as he draped an arm over Alma's shoulders, nearly squatting in order to complete the feat. Alma was way shorter than Oliver, which complicated the gesture.

"Whatcha boys up to?" Alma asked boredly, glancing up into Oliver's icy eyes.

"We're waitin' on the new kid." Oliver said simply.

"Well," Alma said after a beat, "don't let him down too easily. Heard he's a creep."

"From who?" Ewart asked with a wolfish grin.

"Does'it matter?" Alma asked, quirking an eyebrow. Ewart only shrugged and folded his arms over his shoulders as he cast his gaze down the empty hallway which would, in a few moments, be cluttered by passing students. Just as the boys had counted on, the wiry and cunning form of Greg appeared like a mirage at the end of the hall. Alma could pinpoint the jet black hair already, along with the way he carried himself... like a predator about to pounce. Alma didn't like it. Alma's eyes happened to wander to Jacey, who looked as though his jaw was about to fall right off his face. Jacey ran a hand through his wispy, curly hair as he stared which caused Alma to grin. Of course Jacey would be the gay one, which Alma didn't really care about. After all, Alma was in the same situation. "I gotta go." Alma said with a soft chuckle, "don't spend too much time with the new kid." She turned to leave, hands in her jean pockets, but Oliver jogged after her.

"Hey! I'll see you later, right?"

"Oh... ah, sorry, Ollie, I got plans." Alma admitted. "Marian's helping me study. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Oliver said with a shrug, "maybe tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

When the bell rang around three, Alma was nearly ecstatic to leave. Alma immediately snatched her bag from the floor and attempted to shove her way toward the door, though to some extent she was unsuccessful. Taller and more muscular students were able to go first, but Alma was short and lean enough to squeeze through. She grinned softly, for no true reason, and shoved her hands in her jean pockets as she meandered down the halls. When Alma made it to her locker, she found her friends waiting. Ethel- the blonde, polished, and wealthy leader of the Pick-a-Littles- stood by Maud and Jenny, texting as they waited for Alma. Alma knew the Pick-a-Littles only recruited Alma because the Harris family was wealthy, but to refuse Ethel Toffelmeir was a death sentence. As the favorite of Mrs. Shinn, anyone's life could easily become a living hell.

"Hey, Ethel." Alma coolly smiled as she approached them, opening the small blue locker. "What's up?" Alma paid no attention to the photos- of her and the Pick-a-Littles, of course, and a few of Alma and Oliver- lining the blue interior of the locker.

"Alma," Ethel's snakey voice slithered into Alma's ears, "any scoop on the new kid? Heard Shinn asked you to give him a tour."

"Oh, you mean Greg?" Alma asked as she transferred a couple books from her bag into the locker and replaced them with a few folders of homework, the exact pages she'd be working with Marian on. "He's alright. A little talkative." Alma shrugged. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and supposedly Ethel did too because she quirked an eyebrow and watched Alma levelly.

"Who's that from? Ollie?" Ethel wiggled her eyebrows and mockingly uttered the cutesy nickname Alma had given to the roughest, toughest boy at River City High. Alma's cheeks tinted red, but she knew it wasn't from Oliver. The ringtone had been Marian's. Alma didn't tell Ethel that, however. Marian was considered a freak to Ethel, and if Alma wanted to be an outcast she could tell Ethel about Marian.

"Yeah, probably." Alma lied with a small smile.

"Any plans later tonight?" Ethel grinned. "You know... alone? Together?" Her grin widened.

"Um, maybe." Alma shrugged. "I have a lot of homework to do, though, and I know Oliver's going with Ewart and Olin to go do something... but, uh, I gotta go." Alma shut her locker and hurriedly pushed her way by Ethel, Maud, and Jenny in order to find a safe distance away from them to check her phone.

 **From: _Marian:_** _I'm in the band room. Giving a piano lesson to my brother's classmate._

Alma smiled a bit. She hadn't known Maroan gave piano lessons, but she had known Marian played the piano. Marian was a beautiful piano player and an even more beautiful singer, but those two attributes had been overlooked the day Ethel had spread the rumor about Marian and Mr. Marison. Alma heavily regretted not speaking up for Marian, for allowing Marian to become an outcast. Abandoning Marian would be something which would haunt Alma for the rest of her life, and she was sure of it. Those were the thoughts which drifted through Alma's head as she headed toward the band room, her features set into a small frown. She hoped Greg wasn't in there, bothering Marian with his odd advances. Alma couldn't help but admit Greg made her jealous, but she didn't like to admit it too much. As soon as she pushed open the door Alma was greeted by the sweet sounds of a pianist clinking away at the piano keys. Alma instantly recognized the player to be Marian's and found Marian with a young girl Winthrop's age. Alma recognized her as Ethel's sister, Amaryllis. Alma, for a moment, wondered if Ethel knew Amaryllis was taking lessons from Marian. Alma supposed if Ethel truly knew, she wouldn't be a fan of it and certainly would've brought it up before... unless she already had, but usually Alma wasn't listening.

"Hey, Marian," Alma greeted once Marian's song had ended. Instantly, Marian's soft blue eyes met Alma's. Nearly immediately, or at least to Alma, a soft twinkle glinted in Marian's eyes and her lips twitched in an almost-smile... the famous 'Paroo Smirk' as some kids (namely the Pick-a-Littles) would say.

"Hey, Alma." Marian greeted, instantly getting to her feet. The flowery dress beneath her white cardigan swayed in a fluid motion, bringing out the red roses which matched the rosy lips of Marian Paroo.

"Nice dress," Alma said, and she meant it. Alma didn't particularly wear dresses- but she did occasionally wear a skirt- but tended to stick more to leggings and longer shirts. "Where's Amaryllis?"

"Oh, thanks," Marian grinned, then hesitated before adding: "Ethel picked her up."

"Did she do anything?" Alma asked hesitantly.

"No," Marian shook her head, "not this time."

"Alright.." Alma murmured, though she didn't truly believe Marian.

* * *

Alma didn't think that, up until this point, she'd ever been to Marian's house so many times. Of course, they'd been friends as children- but in middle school everything had changed. Marian buried herself in books, Alma had become more social. In some ways, they were total opposites- but still, in other ways they were still the same. While she couldn't truly admit it anymore, Alma still loved books. She read whenever she could, even if it wasn't very often. She still loved classical music too, a trait she and Marian had always shared... and, of course, Alma and Marian both loved dogs. Alma wasn't surprised to see Dino, Marian's faithful mutt, when they pulled into the driveway of the Paroo Farmhouse. Dino was arguably the oldest, ugliest dog in River City. His face was a mass of scars from dog fights, one eye was swollen shut, he only had three legs, and he didn't even have a tail anymore. Marian still loved Dino, however, and Alma couldn't blame her. Dino was the only living memoir Marian had of her father, as Dino had been Mr. Paroo's dog. As soon as Marian had gotten out of the car, Dino had clambered to his feet. Excited barks jumped from his scarred muzzle, his tiny stump tail wagging side to side- though it was mostly just his back end shaking uncontrollably.

"Dino's still alive," Alma whistled, shaking her head, "how old is he now?"

Marian paused in thought, pursing her lips slightly. "About sixteen, give or take a year." She admitted. Marian smiled and wandered toward the dog, kneeling before him to gently stroke his tattered ears. "Hey there, buddy boy." Marian chuckled before she stood. As soon as Alma appeared behind Marian, Dino strained against the lead that held him in place. Low growls escaped him, which made Alma a little nervous, but soon his stump tail began to wag again. "He probably remembers you." Marian said with a curt nod.

"You think?" Alma quirked an eyebrow. "He hasn't seen me in years."

"Yeah," Marian shrugged, "but he always liked you."

Alma paused, but nodded. She patted Dino's head as she passed, remembering all the times the dog had followed Marian and Alma around in his younger years. He'd had four legs back then, of course, but his mentality hadn't seemed to change. As soon as the duo had pushed beyond the screen door, Dino lay back down on the wooden porch and fell asleep promptly. "Is your mom home?"

"My mom?" Marian blinked. "No, no. She's probably still at work." Mrs. Paroo owned the local laundromat on Main Street. Most people didn't go there to wash their clothes but simply just to get them fixed. Alma had spent quite a few days in there with Marian after school- either playing or reading or just doing homework. "Winthrop isn't home, either, so he's probably at the creek."

"We used to go there," Alma recalled with a slight smile, "remember?"

Marian paused for a moment, wringing her hands together. Was she nervous? Marian only ever did that when she was nervous... or when she was slightly embarrassed. "I remember." Marian said with a nod. "Do you remember when I fell in? You know, after all that rain? I was about nine or ten, I think... we were at the bigger part of the creek, and we were playing by the water."

Alma grinned softly, "I pulled you out... with a fallen tree branch. I had splinters everywhere... but you kissed me."

"I didn't kiss you!" Marian said quickly. "I kissed your cheek. There's a difference." Her cheeks were tinted red, but Alma ignored it and simply shrugged.

"We didn't go down there after that." Alma recalled quietly. "You didn't like the water."

"I thought I'd drown." Marian shrugged. "I'm not afraid of the creek anymore... or of swimming. Besides, the foot bridge is down there now. I go there to read sometimes."

"It is a nice place." Alma admitted. "Too bad all the other teenagers have soiled it."

"Wait, what?" Marian looked mortified, which prompted Alma to explain the footbridge had become a popular place for teenaged couples to meet up. Marian, wide-eyed, ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "I'm never going there again."

Alma laughed softly, shaking her head. "Well, on that note, shall we start with the book Miss Sharp gave us this week?"

Marian grinned softly and picked the book up. " _Of Mice and Men_?" She grinned. "Definitely." Both girls sat at the kitchen table after pulling their notebooks from their bags. They sat across from each other, silently reading on their own and occasionally sharing notes. Alma chewed on a pen cap, eyebrows knitted together in concentration as she hunched over. Marian sat relaxed, her lips slightly drawn up into the Paroo smirk. Alma was trying to read, but every now and then she'd glance up at Marian and watch for a while before Marian's blue eyes would lock onto Alma's and she'd look away. After about half an hour of attempted reading, there was a knock at the door.

"Didn't realize you were expecting company." Alma blinked.

"I wasn't." Marian frowned. She got up and trekked into the other room with Alma right behind her. Alma peered over Marian's shoulder, curious, as the taller girl opened the door. Alma was immediately dismayed when she saw Greg, looking suave as ever, behind the screen door. Dino was growling softly, but he seemed fine with Greg's appearance. Maybe Greg had bribed the dog or something.

"Hey, Marian," Greg smirked, "you busy?"

"Well.. no, but.." Marian looked a tad bit confused. "How'd you get my address?"

"I asked Ethel Toffelmeir." Greg said with a shrug and a chuckle. "Didn't think you'd mind if I dropped by. Can I come in?"

Marian was not the type of person to say no. Alma knew that. Alma didn't want to share her alone time with Marian, however, and didn't want Greg anywhere near Marian. Alma didn't trust Greg, he reminded her of a snake in a way... or a shark. Slowly, Marian pulled the screen door open and allowed Greg inside. "We're, uh, working on homework." Marian blinked.

"For what class?" Greg asked.

"Sharp's class." Alma muttered. "Look, Marian and I are having a nice time. Cantcha come back later?" Alma heard Marian chuckle softly, which caused her cheeks to redden just as Marian's had earlier. "Nevermind. I gotta go." Alma muttered, heading back to the kitchen to grab her stuff.

"Alma, c'mon. You know I wasn't laughing at you." Marian frowned. "Don't go." She followed Alma, who was hastily grabbing her things.

"I gotta go." Alma muttered as she shoved past Marian, still glaring at the ground. Marian pursed her lips and watched Alma go, but knew she couldn't really stop Alma. Marian personally didn't feel like she'd done anything, but Alma tended to get embarrassed easily.

"That was sudden." Greg grinned as Alma sped out of Marian's driveway. "Didn't know you were friends with the Hix girl."

"Look, Greg," Marian sighed, "I'd really appreciate it if you left."

"But I just got here."

"I know." Marian said. "But I'm kinda busy, so.. please. Leave."

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

Marian sighed and rubbed her temples. "Sure, sure. You'll see me tomorrow. Just go."

* * *

Alma's hands gripped the steering wheel of her car tightly as she drove, her teeth gritted. She didn't know why she left, but she hated Greg already. She didn't like how he was moving in on Marian, she didn't like that snakey grin of his or the way he looked at Marian. She bit her lip as she silently cursed Greg. At the moment, she was heading to the only place she really felt comfortable going- Oliver's house. She doubted he was busy since he'd just got out of practice. Alma knew his parents wouldn't be home since they were travelling, and Oliver was usually just good comfort. He cared for Alma, and Alma cared for him- she just didn't know if she truly liked him like she was supposed to. Alma pulled into Oliver's driveway and parked quickly. She didn't bother grabbing her things as she didn't think she'd stay there for too long and headed for the door. Oliver had always told Alma to just walk in since he didn't keep the doors locked and he was usually home at this time, so Alma just walked in. The living room lights were off, as were the lights in the walk-in, which confused Alma. "Ollie? You home?" She called out.

There wasn't really an answer, but there was an odd noise from upstairs- like something had toppled over. Curious, but also a little frightened, Alma headed toward the stairwell and began to head upstairs. "Ollie?!" She threw open the door to Oliver's room and instantly regretted it. "Shit-! I, uh.. Oliver?!" Alma instantly jumped back into the hallway, averting her eyes. She hadn't expected to see Oliver with Olin and Ewart, especially doing THAT. "I'll.. I'll go now," Alma hastily turned on her heels and darted down the stairs.

"Fuck," Alma heard Oliver say, and heard him climb to his feet. "Alma, hey-!" But it was too late, she'd already darted outside- feeling queasy and sick. What the hell had she just seen?! She hadn't known Oliver had liked guys in that way- then again, Oliver didn't know Alma liked Marian in that way. Alma didn't know if that made Oliver's actions right, though. He was basically cheating, wasn't he? Those were only a couple of the bagillion thoughts raging through Alma's skull as she pulled herself into her car, heart racing, and got the hell out of Oliver's driveway.


	4. Chapter 4

Alma had been home for a couple of hours. Her head was still racing and pounding and she was still so, so confused. The only thing she could even think of was ' _what the fuck?_ '. Heart racing, skull reeling, she sat uncomfortably on her bed. Occasionally her phone dinged and chimed, but she had only just picked it up.

 **From: _Marian:_** _Come on, Alma, you aren't mad are you? You know I didn't mean to offend you._

 **From: _Oliver:_** _im so so sorry_

 **From: _Oliver:_** _i fucked up i kno i did_

 **From: _Marian:_** _please, let me make it up to you. Besides, you left your book here._

 **From: _Oliver:_** _cmon alms just call me back i didnt mean to hurt u_

Alma squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples. She wasn't mad at Marian, she could never be mad at Marian. She was pissed at Oliver, really. How long had he been doing all that stuff with his friends? Was Jacey in on it, too? No, Jacey couldn't be. Jacey sure as hell wasn't straight, but Alma could tell Oliver wasn't his type- nor were Ewart or Olin. Alma had seen the way Jacey had looked at Greg when Alma had introduced him to the boys, but Greg seemed to be too busy obsessing over Marian to notice... and Alma didn't even know if her thoughts were true or not. The only thing Alma really knew was that it was Friday night, and she was thankful for that. She wouldn't have to face Oliver until Monday, but she could certainly forgive Marian. After all, Marian wasn't the one who'd participated in a gay threesome. Alma did feel a little bad about walking out on Marian for such a stupid reason, and she knew it had been immature, so with shaking hands she picked up her phone.

 **To: _Marian:_** _No, I should be the one making it up to u. I walked out, not u._

Then, almost instantly, Alma received a text back.

 **From: _Marian:_** _I'd love that :)_

 **To: _Marian:_** _Maybe I can make it up to you tomorrow?_

Alma's thumb tapped the send button, and she was about to send another text to Marian when her mother's voice called her. "Alma!" Alma's head snapped up, glancing toward her door. "Alma!" Her mother's voice came again, slightly more annoyed this time.

"What?!" Alma called down, frowning, as she climbed to her feet. She shoved her phone into the pocket of the sweatshirt she'd pulled over herself and walked to her door, opening it slightly.

"Alma, come here please!" Her mother sounded more exasperated than anything now. Tired, even. Alma sighed and descended the stairs, her hand delicately holding to the stair railing.

"Yeah, mom?" Alma asked hesitantly. She found her mother in the kitchen, leaning against the counter tiredly. The bags under her mother's eyes were a clear indicator that Mrs. Harris was indeed exhausted.

"We're all out of soup. Do you think you could run down to the store and grab a few cans?" Mrs. Harris asked with a soft sigh. "Your father wants soup for supper." Alma glanced toward the door that lead to the living room, knowing her father was in there. She could hear him muttering to himself.

"Is dad drinking again?" Alma asked warily. Mr. Harris was known to drink quite a bit, he'd started after he'd lost his job a couple months ago. Since then, his behavior had become erratic and violent.

"Started around noon." Mrs. Harris muttered. She handed Alma her credit card. "Mind taking Barney with you?"

Alma blinked, then glanced at her little brother. Barney stood at the foot of the stairs, watching his sister with innocent eyes. Barney seldom saw Mr. Harris when he was drinking, as Mrs. Harris didn't allow it, so Alma wasn't surprised Mrs. Harris wanted Alma to take Barney with her. "Yeah, I'll take him. C'mon Barney. Get your coat on, okay?" The boy nodded and darted to get his shoes and jacket as Alma turned to her mother. "We'll be back soon." Alma chewed on her lip. "Just remember mom, you can call the police if he gets out of hand." Mrs. Harris didn't respond, so Alma simply pursed her lips and simply went to get her shoes. Barney stood by the door, his bright blue eyes watching his sister. "You ready, Barney?" Alma asked as she lead him outside and to her car.

"Is dad ever gonna be okay again?" Barney asked as they walked, his eyes staring at the ground.

Alma blinked, surprised Barney would ask that. "I... I don't know, Barney." Alma admitted. "People all deal with stuff differently. I guess dad isn't dealing with it very well, but he's dealing... even if it hurts us a little." Alma knew her words wouldn't comfort Barney, but it was how she felt. She climbed into her car, as Barney did, and buckled her seat belt before she turned the car on and pulled out of her driveway.

* * *

The local grocery store was owned by Marcellus's parents. The Washburns weren't wealthy, but they did have enough money to have ran the grocery store for a handful of generations. Marcellus wasn't working tonight, but Mr. Washburn was. Barney held onto his sister's hand as they entered the store, the door gently beeping to alert Mr. Washburn of his new customers. "Hello there, Miss Harris." Mr. Washburn greeted with a smile. "Hey there, Barney."

"Hey Mr. Washburn," Alma managed to smile. Barney offered a small wave with his free hand, but that was all. He wasn't too talkative, not tonight at least. Alma didn't blame him, either. Barney knew his father was a drunk- most of River City did, anyway- and it wasn't something to be proud of. Mr. Harris had once been the best lawyer in River City and even the county, but he'd been in a pretty bad car accident and really couldn't work anymore. His firm- or, well, Mr. Hix (Oliver's father)- had fired him and given the position to Mr. Dunlop, Ewart's father. Mrs. Harris was a physician, but she worked in the county over and often drove up to forty-five minutes to get there, and she was the main money maker now. Alma didn't doubt that her father despised that his wife made money and he didn't. Mr. Harris had been a proud man, and he was a bit of a sexist. It didn't surprise Alma that her father would be upset about his wife bringing home the bacon.

"Barney, you wanna go pick out some soup?" Alma asked. "I'm gonna go find something for dad, okay? Something to help him calm down." Barney nodded and raced off, his sneakers squeaking against the tiles of the store's floor. Mr. Harris was a big Pepsi fan, and usually buying him one helped... and Alma couldn't legally buy him cigarettes or alcohol. Alma headed toward the isle where the drinks were kept and began looking for a bottle of Pepsi.

"Oh, hey Alma." A familiar voice greeted. Alma turned, confused, and looked up at Jacey.

"Oh, hey." Alma offered a smile. "Whatcha been up to, Jace?" She asked, a lame attempt at making conversation.

Jacey shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his letter jacket. "My dad needed help at the shop. I just got done with that." Mr. Squires owned the auto-body shop just outside town by the Paroos' home. Most people brought their cars there when they needed them fixed since Mr. Squires was a pretty trustworthy and hard-working person. He was also one of the farmers in the community and served on the City Council.

Alma grabbed a bottle of Pepsi from the fridge and leaned back casually. "Does he still want you to take over the shop when he retires?"

"Yup," Jacey sighed, "but I'd rather go off to college." Jacey was a senior, as was Alma. Oliver, Olin, Marian, and Maud were also seniors- though Ethel, Jenny, Ewart, and Marcellus were juniors. Apparently Greg was a junior as well.

"Really? I didn't know you were considering that." And Alma was being serious. Jacey had never seemed like the college going type. "What do you want to go for?" Alma motioned for Jacey to follow as she went to go find her brother.

"Not sure yet." Jacey admitted. "Business management, maybe. Or something with lecturing."

"Yeah, you do like to talk a lot." Alma teased with a smile, which caused Jacey to chuckle slightly.

"I guess you're right." They found Barney in the soup isle, but he wasn't alone.

"Thanks, mister!" Barney smiled as Greg handed Barney a couple cans of soup from the highest place of the store's shelves. Jacey froze instantly when he saw Greg, as did Alma, though they froze for entirely different reasons. Alma froze out of suspicion, Jacey out of pure interest- and maybe even shyness.

"Oh, heya Alma!" Greg grinned. "This guy yours?" He gestured to Barney.

"My brother, yes." Alma said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Greg, this is Jacey. I think I introduced you two earlier?"

Greg looked at Jacey and smiled. "I believe so. Jacey Squires, right?"

"Ayuh." Jacey nodded, watching Greg. "Whatcha here for?"

"Oh, my mom sent me to get some groceries." Greg smiled that shark-y smile, the one Alma hated. The gesture seemed to have the opposite effect on Jacey, however, which seemed- to Alma, at least- to confirm her theory of Jacey being at least a little interested in Greg.

"Maybe Jacey can help you." Alma said after a few seconds of silence. "He knows this place pretty well, dontcha Jacey?"

"Wait, what-?" Jacey's features were a mixture of confusion and pure panic.

"Yup. Jacey will help." Alma said, not even a beat later. "Barney and I gotta go, though, our parents are expecting us. Catch you two later." Alma said as she turned on her heel, Barney right beside her.

"Hey, Alma, do you know if Marian is busy tomorrow?" Greg called.

"Yup, she is." Alma replied simply, ignoring whatever question Greg hollered after Alma's answer.

* * *

Alma pulled into the driveway and parked quickly. They'd already taken enough time, and Mr. Harris would be rather upset if they took any longer. Barney held onto the items they'd purchased at the store, the plastic bag crinkling beneath his hands every now and again. It crinkled rather loudly when he moved to unbuckle his seat belt, then again when one of his hands grasped the bag's handles and the other reached for the door handle. "Remember," Alma said, "be quiet and don't try and make dad upset, okay?" Alma asked softly. Barney nodded and stepped out of the car as his sister did and headed for the door. Barney skipped the the front door while Alma simply walked, chewing on her lip silently. She hoped her father was, at least, in a tolerable mood. If not, she didn't know what would happen. She guessed her father would make a scene of sorts, but it hadn't gone worse than him making a scene yet. Alma knew, though, one day it probably would- and she didn't know what she would do when that happened.

"Mama, we're home!" Barney called and jogged to the kitchen.

"Barney, no!" Alma hissed quietly. "Shoes off, remember?" Barney paused, then ran back to his sister to slip his shoes off. Mr. Harris liked the house clean, and didn't much enjoy when his wife or children wore their shoes around the house. Mr. Harris feared they'd track mud around, but Alma knew that had never once happened- her father was just being a drunken dick. Mrs. Harris stood in the kitchen and took the bag of items when Barney handed it to her. She bent down and hugged her son, sighing softly as Alma headed over and handed Mrs. Harris her card.

"Have any trouble?" Mrs. Harris asked, to which Alma shook her head.

"No," Alma said, "but I'll help you with supper."

"That might be a good idea." Mrs. Harris said. "Your father's getting irritable."

Alma nodded and said nothing more about the situation. Barney was asked to go upstairs and finish his homework as he waited for dinner, which he did. Mrs. Harris didn't really say anything to her daughter, and Alma didn't really say anything to her mother, but instead they simply worked to fix dinner. Mr. Harris wandered in after a while, his pale skin patchy with stubble and his hair unkempt. His eyes were red and bloodshot and dark, dark bags gathered beneath his once bright and happy eyes. "What're you two up to?" He muttered, his voice low and words tired as he stumbled in.

"Just making supper, dad." Alma told him. "I... I, uh, gotcha a Pepsi."

"Ayuh." Mr. Harris muttered and sat himself at the table. "You gonna give me some or what, Jules?" He growled to his wife, fist thumping against the table.

Mrs. Harris simply sighed and did as told so she didn't invoke Mr. Harris's wrath. "Did you hear about Barney's school play coming up?" She asked her husband. Mr. Harris didn't answer, he just began to scarf down his food- still hungry despite having nearly devoured all the food in the cupboards. "You know," Mrs. Harris finally said, "you don't have to make everyone else miserable too, David. The kids have to eat too."

"Don't you think the kids could do with a little less feeding?" Mr. Harris snapped. "We already need more groceries because of the damn kids."

"No, we need more groceries because of you." Mrs. Harris snapped back. "All you do is sit around all day and gripe and complain, David."

"Mom, please..." Alma murmured, wringing her hands together.

"No, Alma." Mrs. Harris shook her head. "I've put up with his crap for nearly two months, all his self-pity and all his drinking. Just get over the firm, David. They cut you off because you broke your arm, big deal. It happened because you were drinking and driving. Maybe you can just get another job when it's all healed. There's a firm in-"

"I didn't ask for your input, Jules!" Mr. Harris snapped. He was on his feet now, stalking toward his wife. "It's hard enough providing for this damn family, you know!"

"I do know!" Mrs. Harris glared. "I know because I'm the one providing, David. Not you! I can't believe you, cursing your own family and your own children! How dare you-" But Mrs. Harris didn't get to finish her sentence because Mr. Harris's hand collided with her face. She stumbled back, mouth agape, as she stared at her husband in utter awe. Mr. Harris didn't say anything either, he just stood- his chest heaving with drunken rage- as he glared at his wife. He raised his hand again, but it was Alma who stepped between her parents defiantly, glaring up at her father with narrowing eyes that were beginning to tear up. Mr. Harris paused and glared at his daughter, about to open his mouth to speak- but he never got the chance.

"Dad-?" Barney whispered from the stairs. His eyes were wide with fear, as were Alma's, but Barney didn't understand what was happening. Alma did.

Mr. Harris turned to look at his son, still glaring, but he didn't say anything. It was Mrs. Harris who spoke. "Alma," Her voice was a bit softer, "take your brother and go somewhere else. Please. I'll sort this out."

"But, mom-"

"Now." Mrs. Harris's voice hardened.

* * *

And that was how Alma ended up on Marian's front porch. Each Harris kid carried an overnight bag, Barney clutching his sister's hand as he sniffled quietly. He'd been crying, and Alma didn't blame him at all. She was scared, too, and had been shaking since she'd put herself between her mother and father. Alma's shaking free hand knocked on the door slowly, knuckles rapping against the old wood. Dino wagged his tail at the visitors, but kept himself at a distance. He seemed to know something was off. It was Mrs. Paroo who opened the door, a concerned look upon her face. "Alma? Why, it's well past supper. Is something wrong?"

"No, Mrs. Paroo." Alma lied, her voice still shaking. "My mom just wanted us to get out of the house for a bit. Is it alright if Barney and I stay here for the night."

Mrs. Paroo's mouth opened, her features still concerned, but then she shut her mouth for a beat and thought. After a few moments, she sighed. "I don't see why not," She said with a weak smile, "Marian is upstairs. Would you like to go play with Winthrop, Barney? He's just in the living room with the cat." Barney nodded, his eyes wide, and darted inside. Alma stayed behind, her eyes tired. "What happened, dear?" Mrs. Paroo asked softly, now that Barney was gone.

"I'm not sure." Alma admitted. "Everything was very sudden... is it alright if I just go up to Marian's room?" Mrs. Paroo nodded reluctantly, though Alma knew she wasn't satisfied with her answer. She silently made her way up the creaking stairs and down the hall where she found Marian's room. The door was shut, so Alma gently knocked. "Marian, you in there?" Alma could tell Marian had almost immediately stopped whatever she was doing the instant Marian had registered it was Alma speaking.

"Oh, uh- yeah! Come on in!" Marian's voice called. So, Alma gently pushed open the door and headed in. The familiar sight of Marian's tidy room was a nice one. Her bed was neatly made, books neatly placed in alphabetical order on the two bookshelves in her room, and Marian was sitting at her desk as she finished the last bit of her homework. "I didn't know you were coming." Marian admitted sheepishly.

"I didn't either." Alma muttered. "I.. I guess this is an opportunity to apologize for earlier, though. I don't know why I left you with that creep."

"He is a creep, isn't he?" Marian asked, though Alma's comment had caused her lips to twitch upward in a slight smile as she closed her trigonometry book. "It's alright, Alma. I don't like him either."

"Still, it was a dick move." Alma shrugged.

"Yeah, it was." Marian agreed with a soft grin.

"You aren't supposed to agree!" Alma teased with a small laugh and smile.

"Whoops." Marian rolled her eyes, the famous Paroo smirk plain upon her features. "Anyway, what brought you over here?"

Alma's smile faltered, and she simply sat on the bed and wrought the strap of her backpack in nervous hands. "Family issues." She said simply. "Is it alright if I leave it at that?"

"No." Marian said bluntly. "It's not. You can't dance around this one, Miss Harris."

"Well, Miss Paroo," Alma's eyes narrowed, "it's a touchy subject and I don't wanna talk about it."

"Was it your dad?" Marian asked with a sigh.

"... Yes."

"Did he do something bad?"

"Yes.."

"Was he drinking?"

"Marian, please.." Alma glanced at her hands. Marian watched Alma carefully, then shook her head and went to sit beside her friend.

"I'm sorry." Marian said, gently patting Alma's shoulder. "I can never understand why people can be the way they can.. well.. be." Alma didn't say anything, she just leaned against Marian tiredly. Marian didn't say anything either, she simply draped an arm over Alma's shoulder and sat with her friend in silence.


End file.
